How to optimise live cell imaging

Providing full control over temperature, humidity, CO2, O2 and media perfusion, these new modular units will greatly enhance researchers' live cell imaging capabilities

Olympus has announced the release of a new range of environmental control products to provide optimal live cell imaging conditions, whatever the experimental requirements.

Providing full control over temperature, humidity, CO2, O2 and media perfusion, the new modular units from Olympus will greatly enhance researchers' live cell imaging capabilities.

The new Olympus series of environmental control units ranges from simple on-stage devices to full system incubators.

The modular nature of the units allows the user to define the perfect system for their individual live cell requirements based on Olympus microscopes.

Each parameter can be controlled precisely and independently of the others within broad limits.

The control units perfectly complement the superior clarity of Olympus microscopes, says the company, providing the ideal environment for highly accurate live cell observations.

An array of temperature control and heating devices are available to cover different temperature and vessel requirements, ranging from ambient to 65C (+/-0.1C).

Specialised devices for physiological cooling down to 0C are also available on request.

Stage incubators provide a chamber in which CO2 concentration can be carefully controlled between 2% and 7%.

To reduce evaporation, a humidity control unit can increase the water saturation of the circulating air from ambient up to 70%.

Evaporation can be reduced further still with the use of gas-permeable foil covers, which are available for all vessel formats.

Specialised perfusion chambers can be used to allow media changes without any affect on imaging.

This is especially useful when investigating the affect of compounds on growing cells.

For more accurate control of environmental conditions, Olympus also offers uniform warm air incubators.

These almost completely enclose the entire microscope and its additional components, while still allowing easy access to the various controls.

The enclosures also create airflows similar to biological safety cabinets, hence protecting specimens from contamination.

Some cell cultures require extremely precise conditions, so Olympus has developed a specially sealed stage incubation system, which can lower the O2 concentration to match that of the cells at all times.

Olympus can also provide the Cellcubator system for inverted IX2 microscopes.

It says this combines perfect temperature, pH, and humidity control, producing the ultimate all-in-one live cell imaging.

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